Truce: the Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting

This book is the story of what took place in December, 1914 during World War I. At that time there were two sides fighting. On one side was the German army, and on the other side was Britain and France. They had been foughting for a long time, and a lot of men on both sides died, but neither side could gain any ground. Each side had dug a trench, an actual ditch, that stretched for miles and miles and miles. The two trenches ran parallel to each other.

The soldiers on both sides lived in the trenches. The land in between the trenches was called “No Man’s Land.” Kind of like kids playing, “you don’t you cross this line!” The two sides would clash in No Man’s Land, kill each other, and then retreat into their trenches. This went on and on and on for months.

The men on both sides were cold and hungry and sick. The trenches were so close to each other, the two sides could sometimes hear each other talking. Isn’t that weird? It sounds like a game, only this wasn’t a game and the guns were real.

On Christmas Day in 1914 several groups of troops, from both sides, arranged a truce. They actually came out of their trenches into No Man’s Land and shook hands, exchanged presents and sang songs together. This was highly forbidden by the commanders, but the soldiers did it anyway. Even if the political leaders and the commanders weren’t done with the war, the soldiers fighting it were.

The Chrismas Day Truce didn’t last, and the war went on for four more years after that, but it did make a statement. It’s a great book to read in honor of Christmas Day – peace on earth, good will toward men.